Machine for simultaneously cutting and printing cigars.



No. 540,909. Patenfed Ian. 9, 1900.

I. w. HEYSINGEB. MACHINE FOB SIMULTANEOUSLY CUTTING AND PRINTING CIGARS.

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No. 640,909. P t t d] 9, 900.

|. w. HEYSINGER. a

MACHINE FOR SIMULT ANEOUSLY CUTTING AND PRINTING CIGARS.

\ vitnesses.

l'lE STATES PATENT FFICE.

MACHINE FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CUTTING AND PRINTING CIGARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,909, dated January 9, 1900. Application filed April 14, 1898. Serial No. 677,582. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC W. HEYSINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have made a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Simultaneously Outtin g and Printing Cigars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to thedrawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine .for simultaneously cutting and printing cigars which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section through the dotted line a: m of Fig. 1 and looking downward upon the rotatory pad. Fig. 3 is a view of the operating-lever detached from the machine. Fig. 4 is a view of the machine from beneath, the inking-pad and its attachments having been removed. Fig. 5 is avertical section along the dotted line 2' z of Fig. 4, showing the pawl which rotates the pad and the gear which rotates the printing-block in side view. Fig. 6 is a vertical section along the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 4-, showing the printing or type block in place and the cutting device in side View beyond; and Fig. 7 isv an elevation of the machine, showing the different exposed parts at the end in full view and indicating different positionsin which the notched cigar-support may be placed while being acted upon by the knife.

The lettering in all the figures is uniform.

My invention relates to the construction of a portable machine which can be placed on the cigar-makers table and without extraneous connections and by means of which the freshly-made cigars can be cutoff at their blunt ends to a regulated length and at the same time beimprinted upon the sides thereof with such name, title, or other device as may serve to identify the cigars or their makers when placed on the market for sale or use and in which certain improvements over devices for similar purposes now in use are employed in the construction and arrangement of parts as will result in increased economy of manufacture, facility of operation, and efficiency in results, as will be clearly set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A in Fig. 1 represents an interiorly-raised or box-shaped structure adapted to stand upon a table and partially or wholly open underneath, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Along the upper surface is a groove AZwhich is adapted to loosely receive a cigar, the same being held down while being cut by the hand of theoperator. At the op erative end of said box is a centrally-pivoted lever G, the free end provided with a thumbpiece or handle G and at its opposite end with a cutting-blade G in such manner that when the handle G is pressed downward, the said lever being pivoted at G the knife end G will swing upward along the arc of a circle and cross the adjacent end of the groove A at the part A, which has been raised suffi ciently to accommodate the tapered end of the cigar. This lever and blade operate in a vertical plane along the outside of the vertical end of the box A, as shown in the figures. In order to hold down the free end of the cigar while being cut off and to secure adjustments to difierent sizes and tapers of cigars, an overhanging support E E is provided, against which the knife-blade G traverses and against the surface of the notch E, of which it shears externally. The free end of the cigar being introduced beneath this notched support and projecting through the same, when the handle G is depressed the knife G will be forced upward, and the blunt end of the newly-made cigar will be sheared offsquarely when the said notched support is properly adjusted to the size of cigars being at the time made. To enable such adjustment to be readily made, I provide the vertical arm of the notched support E with the longitudinal slot E so that it can be raised or lowered to any height desired, and I fasten it to the end of the boxA by a thumb-screw D or a like fastening, so that the notched support E cannot merely be raised and lowered, but also set at different angles forward and back, as shown at E E E of Fig. 7. In this way perfect accuracy of out can be secured for all sorts and shapes of cigars, the machine being adjusted once for all according to the sort ofcigars to be made at the time. Instead of the notch under E a ringshaped or oval hole may be used inthe support, said hole being large enough to have its lower margin beneath the level of the bottom of the groove in which the cigar lies while being cut; butI prefer to use the open notch, as shown. The support itself at E is not sharpened, as it is a more support, the knife G doing the cutting; but I taper or bevel the width of the notched support so as to conform generally to the taper at the ends of cigars. It will be seen that this cutting mechanism requires no particular skill on the part of the operator, so that this work can be done at the ordinary cigar-makers price, which includes the cutting to length.

In order to print or mark the cigar along its length with some name or device, I provide the mechanism which I will now describe.

In Fig. 1 it will be seen that in the bottom of the groove A there is an open longitudinal slot A, which extends, as shown in Figs. 4,

-' 5, and 6, entirely through the cover of the box A and is of a sutlicient length and width to accommodate the type-bearing face of the type-block G, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The pivoted support G of the cutting-lever G is prolonged as a shaft within the upper forward edge of the box or support A, as shown in Fig. 4, the corresponding part of A A, Fig. 1, being removed and a covering-plate B attached by the small screws 1) b to hold the shaft in place, (see also A and B, Figs. 5 and 6.) The rear end of the shaft G (see Fig. 4) extends through the opposite end wall of A at A in which it is supported. The lever end is supported in the notched bearing in the lever end of A, as shown in Fig. 6. The lever G has a downward projection G Fig. 1, beneath the knife G provided with a hole G and along the shaft Gr there is acorresponding arm G8 inside the box, as shown in Fig. 5, the end of the box A, as shown in Fig. 6, being provided with a curved slot upon G as a center. A small rod extends from G outside the box to in the arm G upon which is journaled a rotatable type-block G having at one end a pointed toothed segmental spur-wheel G the teeth of which are lettered h h.

In Fig. 5 is shown at G a perforated rack having a curvature centered on G and attached to the box A at G. The teeth of this rack I prefer to stamp out from sheet metal, as shown at 9 Fig. 5, so that I construct this curved rack by merely stamping it out of a sheetof suitable metal,curvin git to the proper form, and attaching it in place. This makes a very cheap and accurate fit and enables the adjustment of parts to be secured by merely bending the rack as desired. The teeth h h of the spur-wheel occupy only one half a circle, the remainder being made with a projection h, as shown in Fig. 5, so that when the type-block presents downward it will press vertically upon the inking-pad and when it presents upward it will press vertically upon the under side of the cigar without rotation, and to insure the engagement of the spurwheel in the rack after such vertical movements I make the terminal teeth h h of the spur-wheel longer than the others and corre- 'spondingly elongate the terminal slots at top and bottom of the rack G so as to permit of vertical play without complete disengagement, as shown at g 9 Fig. 5. Beneath this type-block is the rotary pad F Figs. 2, 5, and 6. To support this pad, I pivot it to a hinged plate F, hinged atf f to the box A and closed at the end of the box by a snap spring-catch F F Figs. 1, 2, and 7.

F is the cross-pin, to which F is hinged. (See Fig. 4.)

The circular inking-pad F is pivoted at its center at f, Figs. 2, 5, and 6, so that it can freely rotate, and I prefer to make it in a box-like shape open above and provided with an absorbent pad of felt or the like. In Fig. 2 is shown a small spring-pawl f, which bites into the pad and prevents it from being rotated backward. This pawl f may engage with teeth upon the frame of the pad, if desired. The shaft G Fig. 3, is provided with an arm G which I prefer to bifurcate, and in this is loosely hung a toothed pawl F (see Fig. 5,) which engages also with the soft pad, though it may have a toothed engagement with its frame, so that when the thumb-lever is pressed down and the knife and type-block ascend the pad will be pushed slightly around on its pivoted center, so as to constantly present a fresh surface to the type-block when it again descends to form cont-act therewith. When the thumb-lever rises again, the pawl F simply slips back over the surface of the pad, held from backward rotation byf, Fig. 2.

The spring A 9, Fig, 4, holds the thumbpieoe G forcibly elevated under-spring tension. I prefer to coil it around the shaft G oneend a engaging with the inner surface of the box A and the opposite end a against a shoulder on the shaft G (shown at g, Fig. 3.) The front of the box A is opened at A Fig. 1, to admit the movements of the arm G7 andthe pawl F which is pivoted at F Figs. 1 and 5. By engaging the free end a of the spring A, Fig. 4, behind a stud (r and hooking its opposite end at around the stud g I make a traction on the shaft, so as to always insure a close shearing out between the knife G4 and the support E.

The screw 0, Figs. 1, 4, 6, and 7, is inserted .from beneath through the forward projection A of the box A, in which is a threaded collar A As this screw 0 is raised or lowered it will alter the depth of descentof the thumblever G and correspondingly the protrusion of the type-block through the slot A and the force of imprint upon the side of the cigar.

The swell A Figs. 1 and 2, is to accommo:

date the circle of the pad F As the type-block is freely journaled upon the rod G (see Figs. 4 and 6,) it may be slipped along the same, and as the spur-wheel G is attached to the type-block in the form shown by changing the position of the curved rack G along the box A the position of the type-blockcan be changed to different distances along the cigar as desired. By elongating the perforations g in the rack G from side to side (see Fig. 4) the type-block can also be moved longitudinally without changing the position of the curved rack G Other mechanical modifications to suit special requirements will suggest themselves to any skilled mechanic without the exercise of invention, and I do not confine myself rigidly v to the precise conformation or construction herein shown and described, but may vary the same, or use the various devices in other connections, as may be necessary, and in the manner above referred to without departing from the principles of my invention as herein shown, described, and claimed for greater clearness in a single structure.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In a machine for simultaneously cutting and printing cigars, the combination of an interiorly-raised support, a cutting-lever at end of said support centrally pivoted thereto, and having a downwardly-operated handle at one side of said pivot, and an upwardly-operated knife at the opposite end of said lever, and a downwardly-presenting cigar-support adapted to engage with said knife in its ascent, together with a printing mechanism beneath said interiorly-raised support, and adapted to reciprocate upward and downward beneath the same in coordination with the knife end of said lever, and a slot in, said interiorlyraised support through which the type-block of said printing device is enabled to make contact with the lateral surface of a cigar while held in position .for being out by said knife, substantially as described.

2. In combination with an interiorly-raised cigar-support, a centrally-pivoted lever secured to the end of the same, having an operating-handle at one end and an upwardly-acting knife at the opposite end, and a downwardly-presenting support for the end of'the cigar, above said interiorlyraised support and adjacent to said knife, an upwardly and downwardly reciprocative type-block beneath said interiorly-raised support, said support provided with a slot therein, and said typeblock adapted to operate upwardly through said slot,and to be reciprocated downwardly to make contact with an inkingrpad beneath, and said type-block reciprocated by the movements of said lever and coincident with the knife end thereof, together with an inkingpad beneath said type-block, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a covered box or other upwardly-raised support, the verticallyreciprocative knife, pivoted at one end of said box, a support for the end of a cigar adapted to be cut off by said knife, a slot in the top of said box adapted to present beneath a cigar while the same is being out at its end, a typeblock beneath the top of said box adapted to be reciprocated upward and downward by the corresponding reciprocation of said knifelever, the said type-block raised while the handle of said lever is depressed, said typeblock rotatable upon a horizontal axis, and means for causing said type-block to be rotated while vertically reciprocated, first to make contact by its printing-face with an inked pad, and afterward to present through said slot against the side of a cigar held in place upon the top of said box, together with a horizontally rotatable pad beneath the same, said pad operatively connected with and rotated by said reciprocative mechanism, and said pad hinged to and removable-from said box'for reinking or otherwise, when necessary, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the covered box or upwardly-raised support, a centrally-pivoted knife-lever at one end thereof,having thumbpiece or handle at one end thereof, and knife at the opposite end thereof, said knife adapted to cut in its upward ascent, and a notched cigar-end support, presented downwardly and in contact with said knife, said cigar-end support being adjustable vertically for cigars of different diameters, and presented thereto in different positions,substantially as described.

5. In combination with the segmental spurwheel, the rotatable type-block secured thereto, and means for reciprocating the same, a perforated sheet-metal rack, the teeth of said spur-wheel adapted to enter and be rotated thereby, said rack supported at one end and adjustable at the other, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the rotatable and reciprocative type-block, a segmental spurwheel secured thereto, the terminal teeth of said spur-wheel longer than the others, and a perforated rack adapted to the teeth of said spur-wheel, and having the terminal perforations vertically elongated, so that when a partial rotation has been completed, the further reciprocation of said type-block will cause the said type-face to ascend or descend in a substantially vertical plane, and, when the reciprocation is reversed, will cause the said terminal tooth to begin the rotation of said type-block, and without previous disconnection therefrom, substantially as and for the purposes described.

ISAAC w. HEYSINGER.

Witnesses:

WALTER G. PUSEY, ANDREW V. GRoUPE.

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